King of Fighters 2001 Female Fighters Story EX2
by Ben Jonas
Summary: The epic sequel! Two new teams are formed for the upcoming King of Fighters 2001 tournament.


Disclaimer: The King of Fighters is a property of (and owned by) SNK (who are now known as SNK Neo Geo, who are a subsidiary of Playmore. Got it? Good!)  
  
Ben Jonas presents:  
  
The King of Fighters 2001 Female Fighters Story EX: Part 2-  
  
Burning Heart Explosion! The New Female Fighters Team Is Formed!  
  
Elsewhere, a few minutes later...  
  
Kasumi Todoh: Mom! Dad! I'm leaving to go fishing with Shingo!  
  
Mrs. Todoh: Have a good time, Kasumi! Just be sure to make it back by 4 for your tea ceremony lesson.  
  
Kasumi *thinking to herself*: Oooohh! I hate practicing for tea ceremonies! If it weren't part of the family tradition, I would've tossed it like a bad habit.  
  
Mr. Todoh: Hope you catch us a nice, big salmon. I haven't had one in ages.  
  
Kasumi: I highly doubt that there are any salmon in Southtown, dad, but I'll try to catch something of equal or lesser value. See ya!  
  
As Kasumi headed off toward the Southtown River to meet up with Shingo, Ryuhaku Todoh noticed something surprising.  
  
Mr. Todoh *looking at his watch*: Look at the time! I'd better get a move on, or I'll be late for my job. Today's going to be a big day, honey.  
  
Mrs. Todoh: What's so big about today? Did you finally make enough money to buy me that SUV I've had my eye on?  
  
Mr. Todoh: Close, but... well, not even. They're finally starting to record the voices for the third Tenchi Muyo! OVA series down at Southtown V.A. Studios, and they've re-hired me to play the voice of Katsuhito "Yosho" Masaki.  
  
Mrs. Todoh: Sweetie pie! That's great news! You know how much Kasumi likes that show. She'll be pleased to her such news. *gives Ryuhaku a hug* Have a great day at work!  
  
Mr. Todoh *impersonating the voice of Katsuhiro Masaki*: Now is my time to grasp the future! Farewell.  
  
In a matter of seconds, Mr. Todoh dashed out the door and headed off for work (via the Southtown Express bus).  
  
Meanwhile, over at the Southtown River, Kasumi was thinking over what happened to Li Xiangfei and Hinako last night after reading the news about their apparent deaths earlier this morning.  
  
Kasumi *thinking to herself*: I can't believe both Li Xiangfei and Hinako were murdered last night! How could such a terrible thing have happened? On the other hand, with them out of the picture, I'll never have to put up with those annoying S.O.B.s ever again. And to top it all off, this gives me a grand opportunity to make Shingo Yabuki my boyfriend. This is going to be a grand day, indeed!  
  
Just then, Kasumi spotted Shingo in the distance.  
  
Kasumi: HEY! SHINGO!  
  
Shingo: Oh! Hi, Kasumi.  
  
Kasumi: What's wrong, Shingo? You look kind of depressed.  
  
Shingo: Well, I did something to make Kusanagi-san very angry with me.  
  
*cue flashback*  
  
Four days earlier...  
  
Shingo *as narrator*: Kusanagi-san and I had just reunited with Benimaru- san and Daimon-san. Our reunion was very timely, since the King of Fighters 2001 tournament was coming up, and Kusanagi-san wanted to form his own team this year instead of being a single-entrant (like he was last year). Naturally, I was very excited about hearing the prospect of fighting alongside the original Japan Heroes team. Well, you think the story would've ended with me becoming the newest member of the reunited Heroes team, but sadly, it didn't end up that way. The next day, after school got out for the day, I got a phone call from Kusanagi-san, telling me that I've been thrown off the team, and that I've been replaced by Moe Habana. (Writer's Note: Moe Habana was a member of Kyo's team in KOF EX: Neo Blood.) To think, that Kusanagi-san would choose that Moe tramp over me. Naturally, I was heartbroken to hear such news, and after I slammed down the phone, I began thinking about all the different ways I'd get revenge on Moe (such as tying her up to the back of a bus and watching her get dragged all across Osaka, or telling Yuki that Moe was secretly making love to Kusanagi-san when she wasn't around, and watching the two ladies cat- fight). Just then, it hit me. Instead of doing such hateful things, I'd win Kusanagi-san over by giving him a Styrofoam box full of yakisoba noodles at his apartment. The following evening, I went over to his apartment, and as I was about to knock on the door, I noticed that it was unlocked (and opened slightly). I decided to sneak in, hoping to surprise him with my gift. As I snuck in, I heard a squishing sound beneath my feet. As I looked down, I noticed I was stepping in paint. Just then, I heard a loud scream coming from inside Kusanagi-san's apartment. I looked up, and saw Yuki and Kusanagi-san staring right at me. Problem was, they weren't looking too happy.  
  
Yuki *horrified*: MY MURAL IS RUINED!!! *sob*  
  
Kyo Kusanagi *incredibly pissed-off*: SHINGO! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE HELL YOU'VE DONE?!!!?!  
  
Shingo *as narrator*: Terrified over how I made Kusanagi-san very upset at me, I accidentally dropped the box of yakisoba noodles on top of the painting, thus making things even worse.  
  
Shingo *terrified*: I'm sorry, Kusanagi-san! I'm so sorry!!  
  
Kyo *P.O.ed*: Yeah? Well, not as sorry as I'm going to make you when I'm through with you!!!  
  
Shingo *as narrator*: Up until now, I had never seen my mentor act so furiously toward me. It looked like he was going to perform his "Kuraiyagare" DM on me! To quote you Americans, I "got the hell outta dodge", and fled from his apartment. As I left, I heard Kusanagi-san shout something about how if he ever saw me again, he'd kill me!  
  
Kasumi: Geez! That's terrible!  
  
Shingo *as narrator*: But that's not the end of the story. Normally, I would've thought that such a threat was idle, but after accidentally ruining his girlfriend's mural, I knew that Kusanagi-san was serious. Seeing as how I had to distance myself as far away from Japan as possible, I ran back to my house, took some money from my mother's purse, rode the subway to the nearest airport, took the first available flight, and wound up here, in Southtown, where I've spent the past couple of days staying at a Motel 6.  
  
*end flashback*  
  
Kasumi: WOW! That's some story. But how were you able to contact me?  
  
Shingo: Simple. Thanks to my handy notebook, I've got the phone numbers of every single King of Fighters contestant that's ever fought since 1996. Here, have a look.  
  
Kasumi: Holy Shazbot! You've got the phone numbers for just about everyone! And in alphabetical order, no less. Mind if I borrow your notebook for just one second?  
  
Shingo: Not at all. Go right ahead.  
  
Pulling out her cell phone, Kasumi punched in the number for some place referred to as "NESTS".  
  
At an undisclosed location on the planet Earth:  
  
Igniz: Zero, are you pondering what I'm pondering?  
  
Original Zero: I think so, Igniz, but shouldn't the Enron executives be forced to testify to Congress instead of simply getting away with "Pleading the 5th"?  
  
Igniz: Good point. In fact, I.... what's that beeping noise?!  
  
Original Zero: Sorry. It's my cell phone. Hold on one second. *pulls out and answers cell phone* N.E.S.T.S. Headquarters, Zero speaking. How may I help you?  
  
Kasumi: Hi Zero. Did you just take a #1 or a #2?  
  
Original Zero: What the f*ck?! WHO IS THIS?!? Hello? HELLO? DAMN! *hangs up cell phone*  
  
Igniz: Who was it?  
  
Original Zero: Some punk kid who asked me if I took a #1 or a #2. Are you laughing at me?  
  
Igniz: *snicker* No. Well, actually, yes.  
  
Original Zero: *SIGH!* I'll be in my office if you need me.  
  
*Zero leaves the NESTS executive office*  
  
Igniz: Heh heh. Asking Zero if he took a #1 or a #2. Good one.  
  
Back at the Southtown River:  
  
Kasumi: HA! HA! That was great!  
  
Shingo: Yeah!  
  
Kasumi: Tell me something, Shingo. Why did you want to go fishing with me, anyways?  
  
Shingo: Actually, I wanted to do something else, but since I found this fishing rod and tackle box in the closet of my hotel room, I figured it'd be nice if I went fishing with a friend. You know, to put my mind at ease over what happened a few days ago.  
  
Kasumi: I see.  
  
Shingo: The other reason why I asked you is because I need a place to stay. You see, the plane ticket on over here cost me a lot of money (especially since I bought it at the last minute), and since I'm running low on funds, I'm either going to have to go back and face Kusanagi-san soon, or stay here and sleep on the streets like a homeless drunkard. Since neither of those options work for me, I decided to ask one of my friends if I could stay over, at least until this whole dilemma blows over. Since you were the first person on my list, I decided to ask you if you wanted to go fishing with me, so that we could at least talk face-to-face with one another before I ask you the question of whether or not I could stay over at your place. That explains everything up 'til now. So, can I PLEASE stay at your house??  
  
Kasumi: Sure, but only if my dad lets me do so.  
  
Shingo's eyes lit up with glee.  
  
Shingo: Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'll do whatever I can to help pay off my debt to you. I'll cook, I'll clean, I'll even maintain your garden!  
  
Kasumi: Whoa! Settle down, Shingo. It's not like I'm asking you to be my personal slave or anything. *thinking to herself* But, it would be nice if you became my boyfriend.  
  
Shingo: You're right. I over-reacted. Sorry about that. By the way, how often do the fish bite around here, anyways?  
  
Kasumi: Not too often. Many people just simply give up after a while and end up buying their fish from the local fish market.  
  
Shingo: I see.  
  
Five minutes had passed, and Shingo was deeply focused on catching a nice, big fish, so that he could win over Mr. Todoh and stay at the Todoh residence for a few days. Just then, Kasumi put her hand on top of Shingo's right hand. Shingo turned his head toward Kasumi and started blushing.  
  
Shingo *stammering*: W-W-What are you d-doing, Kasumi?  
  
Kasumi gave a cute smile.  
  
Kasumi: I'm putting my hand on top of yours, silly.  
  
Shingo *stammering*: W-W-Why?  
  
Kasumi *whispering in Shingo's ear*: I want you to be my boyfriend.  
  
Shingo *surprised*: WHAT?!?!?!?!?! Oh man! I've never had a girlfriend before! I've always spent my free time following Kusanagi-san around; all the girls at my school would make fun of me, calling me a "Kyo Kusanagi- wannabe" and a "dateless loser with no social life". This is all happening so fast! I... I don't know what to say!  
  
Kasumi: Just say yes.  
  
Shingo: I don't know. Are you sure it would work out? I mean, you and I live in different parts of the world; you live in America, I live in Japan...  
  
Kasumi: Don't worry. I'm sure I could convince my mom and dad to let me go to Japan as a foreign exchange student. Plus, I know the language and customs by heart, so fitting in wouldn't be a problem.  
  
Shingo: Well, in that case... I say YES!!!  
  
Kasumi *eyes sparkling with joy*: SHINGO!!!  
  
As the two of them leaned in and hugged each other, a lone figure appeared behind them.  
  
Chizuru Kagura: Woo Hoo! Go lovebirds, GO!  
  
Shingo *surprised*: WHAAA! Kagura-san!  
  
Kasumi *surprised*: OH! Ms. Kagura! I didn't know you were behind us.  
  
Chizuru: Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me.  
  
Shingo: What are you doing here, anyways?  
  
Chizuru: This area is part of the path I take during my morning jog.  
  
Kasumi: Wait a second! I thought you went back to work in Osaka, Japan after the Orochi threat had ceased.  
  
Chizuru: I did, but what I didn't mention is that my company has numerous locations around the globe (some of which include Rio De Janeiro, Singapore, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand, Vancouver BC, Osaka, and Southtown, California). During different months of the year, I tend to move around these locations a lot, just to make sure things are operating smoothly, and to take in the local culture.  
  
Kasumi: Interesting, but what does your company do that makes it so important?  
  
Chizuru: Here. Read my business card.  
  
Kasumi *reading business card*: "Kagura Global Industries, INC. Specializes in stock portfolios, investment funds, marketing & advertising, computer data storage systems, and more." Very interesting.  
  
Just then, Shingo felt a strong tug on his line.  
  
Shingo: I got a bite!  
  
Kasumi: Me too!  
  
Both Shingo and Kasumi struggled to pull in their catches.  
  
Shingo: Oh man! It must be something huge!  
  
The two of them pulled as hard as they could, eventually bringing their catches out of the water and onto land. However, to their dismay and horror, what they caught weren't fish.  
  
Shingo & Kasumi *terrified*: WAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!  
  
Chizuru *shocked*: What the hell?!  
  
Instead of catching a pair of nice, big fish, what they got instead were a pair of mutilated corpses.  
  
Shingo *shocked*: It's... Xiangfei and Hinako!!! How could such a thing have happened to them?!  
  
Kasumi: So THAT'S what happened to the bodies. They ended up floating downstream after they fell into the dam.  
  
Shingo: How do you know about this?!  
  
Kasumi: It was in this morning's newspaper, underneath the headline.  
  
Chizuru: It doesn't look like those two were killed in a dam stunt; more like they were murdered.  
  
Kasumi: How can you tell?  
  
Chizuru: See these bite marks on Xiangfei? Those couldn't have been done by an ordinary human being. Only someone with Orochi blood could've pulled off a murder like this. I'd better call some of my employees over here and have them dissect the bodies.  
  
Shingo: Wait a second! Can't we just call the police?  
  
Kasumi: Are you kidding? The police force around here is so corrupt, that they'll rob a bank for a big box of jelly donuts. It's probably better that we let someone else handle the job.  
  
In a matter of seconds, Chizuru phoned up some of her employees and told them to get down to where the bodies of Xiangfei and Hinako were discovered as soon as possible. Half a minute later, a giant chopper with the initials "K.G.I." appeared overhead and carted the bodies off to a nearby building.  
  
Chizuru: That ought to keep the company morticians busy for a while. Well, I'm off to work. I'll see you two lovebirds later.  
  
Shingo: Bye, Kagura-san! *to Kasumi* What was that all about?  
  
Kasumi: I have no idea whatsoever. Besides, why should we care? Those two were lame, anyways.  
  
Shingo: You're right. If I never liked Xiangfei or Hinako at all, then why should I care if they got killed?  
  
With that, Shingo and Kasumi resumed fishing, hoping that this time, they wouldn't catch any more dead bodies.  
  
Meanwhile, over at King's apartment:  
  
King: Okay. It's obvious the five of you knew about the murder of Xiangfei and Hinako, but how did you know where I lived? How did you know that Hinako's students would come barging into my apartment? And why did you three come in through my window?!  
  
Vice: Easy. Your name, phone number and address were in the Yellow Pages.  
  
Mature: Simple. We followed them for about two blocks, and got to your apartment by taking a shortcut.  
  
Yashiro: We wanted to make an explosive entrance. Is that so wrong? Besides, Shermie and Chris are already working on replacing your window.  
  
Over where King's window was broken, Shermie was taking measurements for the replacement window, while Chris swept up the broken shards of glass.  
  
Suddenly, King noticed some red stuff all over Vice's hands.  
  
King: *GASP!* You're the one who murdered Li Xiangfei and Hinako!  
  
Vice: Uhh... no I didn't. That red stuff on my fingers is just nail polish. You're just seeing things, that's all.  
  
King: Is that so? Then why is it all over your fingers instead of just your fingernails?!  
  
Vice: Heh. Looks like you figured us out. I admit it; Mature and I were responsible for the murders of Li Xiangfei and Hinako.  
  
Mature: But we had good reason to do so! You see, recently, whenever we tried to sign up for the King of Fighters tournament, those lousy upstart tramps Hinako and Xiangfei would fill in the last two available slots, leaving us out in the cold. We couldn't take it anymore, so we decided to pull off a scheme worthy of Melrose Place. It involved making a trick call to the two upstarts, luring them up to an isolated location, murdering them and disposing of their bodies. After we tricked the duo into believing that there'd be a big party for them, we killed them and dumped their bodies into the Southtown dam.  
  
Vice: And now, with those two out of the way, we'll ask you this question one more time: "King, can Mature and I be your new teammates for this year? Please?"  
  
King: Even though you did get rid of two of the biggest nuisances in the world, I still refuse to team up with cold-blooded murderers!  
  
Mature: But we're not cold-blooded, we're Orochi-blooded.  
  
Yashiro: Besides, I'm afraid you don't have much of a say in this matter. *pulls out a walkie-talkie* Oh, Yamazakiiiiii!  
  
All of a sudden, a helicopter armed with twin chain guns appeared and hovered outside of King's apartment.  
  
King *shocked*: EEP!  
  
Yamazaki *through the helicopter's speakers*: Listen up, lesb*tch! Either you make Vice and Mature your teammates, or I'll turn you and your apartment into Swiss cheese! Got it?!  
  
Chris: Wait a second! Don't fire just yet! *removes broken window and secures new one in* Okay! Go ahead!  
  
Shermie: It's your move, King. What's it gonna be?  
  
King: Threatening to murder someone while they're still in their pajamas. Have you people no shame?  
  
Vice: Actually, we do have some shame. We just prefer to use it at different times.  
  
Yashiro *talking into a walkie-talkie*: Whenever you're ready, Yamazaki!  
  
Yamazaki: Heh! Heh! Heh! It's perforation time!  
  
Just as Yamazaki was about to unleash Hell onto King's apartment, a missile came flying out of nowhere and nailed the helicopter in the rudder. The explosion sent Yamazaki spiraling out of control.  
  
Yamazaki: GYYYAAAAAHH!!! Looks like Yamazaki's spiraling off again!  
  
Mature: Where the Hell did that missile come from?!  
  
As the Orochi gang tried to find the origin of the missile that destroyed their helicopter, they noticed an army jeep armed with a rocket launcher pull up to King's apartment complex.  
  
Ryo Sakazaki: Nobody threatens King and gets away with it! Nobody!  
  
Ryo, Yuri, Takuma, and Robert Garcia: YO KYOKUGEN!  
  
Vice: Well, so much for the idea of making King and Mai our teammates. Any other suggestions?  
  
Shermie: I know! We can form our own team. It'll consist of Vice, Mature, Yashiro, and I. We'll call ourselves the New Faces Four! (or YMVS)  
  
Chris: Great idea, but you left out one minor detail: ME! Where do I fit into all of this?  
  
Mature: Well, you can be the team's shoeshine boy. Every team needs a shoe shiner.  
  
Chris: Absolutely not! I refuse to be a shoe shiner!  
  
Yashiro: It's a bit late to join our team at this point, since we've already chosen the members. Tell you what: we'll get you tickets to this year's King of Fighters tournament so that you can watch us fight. How does that sound?  
  
Chris: That sounds terrible! Why do all of you always treat me like a little kid?!  
  
Shermie: I don't know. Probably because you are one.  
  
Chris: I am NOT a kid! I am a team members of the New Faces Team! Why can't you treat me with more respect?!  
  
Vice: Well, we'd like to, but...  
  
Chris: But nothing! I'm tired of being the spare tire for this four-wheeled wreck! I'm leaving to go join another team! *sob* And DON'T TRY TO FOLLOW ME!!!  
  
With that, Chris ran out the door to King's apartment, sobbing all the way out.  
  
Vice: Poor kid. Maybe some Prozac will help.  
  
Yashiro: I don't think that'll help at this point, Vice. He needs some time alone, away from us. I'm sure he'll come back to CYS one day. Until then, let's try to move on.  
  
Vice: Right. Time to go. Sorry if we caused you any trouble, King. See ya at KOF 2001!  
  
Mature, Shermie & Yashiro: Bye, King!  
  
With that, the four of them exited King's apartment complex, taking the unconscious students of Hinako with them.  
  
King: Huh. That was weird.  
  
Yuri Sakazaki: Ms. King! Are you all right?  
  
King: I'm fine! Where did you guys get that jeep from, anyways?  
  
Robert Garcia: The Ikari Warriors were having a garage sale at their Southtown base. We got this battle jeep for an incredibly low price.  
  
King: Go figure. Anyways, I'm doing alright! Thanks for saving me from Yamazaki.  
  
Takuma Sakazaki: You're welcome! To celebrate, I want all of you to drop and give me fifty sit-ups!  
  
Angered by that statement, the trio of Kyokugen students shoved their master off of the jeep and drove off.  
  
Takuma: You damn ingrates! Come back here so that I can punish you for such insolence!  
  
Yuri *giving the finger*: Up yours, Father!  
  
King: *Sigh* I guess I'd better give Mr. Sakazaki a lift home. Speaking of which, I wonder what ever happened to Yamazaki?  
  
Two minutes earlier, a short distance away from King's apartment building, Athena Asamiya and friends were holding a special early-morning concert inside of a warehouse (the concert was called "Athena A.M."). As the audience were "gettin' their groove on" to the beat of Athena's music, Yamazaki's helicopter suddenly crashed into the warehouse, through the roof of the building, and landed on the left-hand side of the stage. This sudden turn-of-events sent everyone fleeing for safety.  
  
Kensou: ATHENA! Are you okay?!  
  
Athena: Yes... but where's Bao?  
  
At the duo turned to their left, they saw Yamazaki emerge from the wreck, battered and bruised from the crash, but still alive.  
  
Yamazaki *dazed*: I'll... get you... for this... Hon-Fuuuuu...* *THUD!*  
  
The psychopathic Yakuza gangster fell to the ground unconscious. Just then, Athena and Kensou noticed a small puddle of blood underneath the wrecked chopper.  
  
Athena *shocked*: Oh No! BAO!!!  
  
As it turned out, Bao was crushed to death when the helicopter landed on top of him.  
  
Athena *crying*: WHY?! Why did this have to happen?!? *SOB!*  
  
Kensou: Are you going to be all right, Athena?  
  
Athena: *sniff* Of course I'm going to be all right. Bao's dead! I'm crying tears of joy. Finally, someone got rid of that annoying brat without me having to get my hands dirty.  
  
Kensou: ALL RIGHT! My psychic powers have returned! Talk about an ironic twist of fate. Bao's death actually did something good.  
  
Athena: So what do we do now?  
  
Kensou: That's simple. We RUN!!  
  
Athena and Kensou made a mad dash for the exit, and were able to escape the warehouse just before the crashed helicopter exploded.  
  
Kensou: WHEW! That was a close one! But now, we're short one team member for the King of Fighters 2001 tournament.  
  
Athena: Don't worry, Kensou. I know someone who would be a suitable replacement.  
  
At a busy city intersection somewhere in Korea:  
  
Jhun Hoon: Alright! They just released Athena's newest CD! I gotta get over to that music store across the street and get me a copy!  
  
Right when Jhun was about to go dashing headlong into oncoming traffic, he felt his cell phone go off.  
  
Jhun: OW! I knew I should have set this thing to "vibrate" instead of "electric shock". *picks up and answers cell phone* Hello?  
  
Athena: Hi Jhun!  
  
Jhun *excited*: OH MY GOD! IT'S ATHENA ASAMIYA!!! I can't believe you called me, on my cell phone no less!  
  
Athena: *Giggle!* I'm glad you're happy to hear me. Listen, we need a new team member for this year, and I was wondering: would you like to be our new teammate?  
  
Jhun *stunned*: …. ARE YOU SERIOUS?! You want ME to be YOUR teammate?!  
  
Athena: Yes. That is, if it's okay with Kim Kaphwan.  
  
Jhun: Let me ask him while I put you on hold. *puts Athena on hold; dials up the number for Kim's Tae Kwon Do dojo*  
  
Jhun *on cell phone*: Hi! Is Kim Kaphwan there? Oh, hi Kim! I didn't think you'd be taking calls today. What's that? You wanted to give your wife a break? Oh, how thoughtful of you. Anyways, the reason why I called you is because Athena wants me to become the newest member of the Psycho Soldiers team. No, I'm afraid I don't have any idea what happened to the fourth member of their team. What?! I have your permission?! OH YES!! Thank you, Kim! I knew you'd understand how much it means to me to be with my favorite pop idol. But why do you want me to join Athena's team? You want to make May Lee your new assistant? May Lee, as in the 17 year-old Tae Kwon Do wonder? Well, I'm all for it. I'm glad to see such a young prodigy take on a big responsibility at an early age. But do you really think that she'll be able to keep Chang and Choi in line? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, she HAS been studying intensely under your tutelage. All right then, thanks so much, and I'll see you at the King of Fighters 2001 tournament in a few weeks. Be sure to tell May Lee I said Hi. Bye for now! *re-connects Athena*  
  
Jhun: Athena, I'm back. Mr. Kaphwan approves, so I SAY YES!!!  
  
Athena: That's wonderful, Jhun! It'll be interesting having a Tae Kwon Do expert on our team. Be sure to meet me at the Five Seasons hotel in Southtown, California, U.S.A., sometime within the next few days so that we can make you an official team member. Okay?  
  
Jhun: You bet I'll be there!  
  
Athena: Excellent! Talk to you later. Bye, Jhun! *both Athena and Jhun hang up*  
  
Jhun: I can't believe it! I'm going to be able to fight alongside Athena Asamiya! This is like a dream come true! YAHOO!!!  
  
Jhun happily danced across the city block, screaming and shouting that he would be Athena's new teammate. Many of the city's onlookers simply stared at him in disbelief (some people thought that he had escaped a mental institution).  
  
Back in Southtown:  
  
Athena: Well, that's that. Jhun Hoon is coming here to Southtown to officially become our newest teammate.  
  
Kensou: Awesome! *thinking to himself* I can't wait to meet Jhun again! I hope he brings the "2000 Limited Edition Athena Asamiya Doll" with him. I have to have it in my collection!  
  
Kensou: Ready to get on outta here?  
  
Athena: I sure am! *pulls out a silent whistle and blows into it*  
  
Immediately, a hot pink limousine drove up to where Athena and Kensou were.  
  
Limo Driver: You called, Ms. Asamiya?  
  
Athena: I certainly did. Take us to the Five Seasons hotel, pronto!  
  
Limo Driver: You got it!  
  
In an instant, Athena and Kensou were off, all the while being tailed by a whole bunch of rabid fans. Thankfully, a group of security guards (dressed in manly pink uniforms) prevented the overly excited crowd from going any further.  
  
Not too far away, at a nearby walking trail, Chris was brooding over the fact that he was kicked off of the New Faces Team.  
  
Chris *thinking to himself*: It's not fair! I was Shermie and Yashiro's best teammate (not to mention that I was also the host body for Orochi), and this is the thanks I get after being forced out of the team? This sucks! Now I'm either going to have to find a new team to join, or risk having to go back to my old team and face the humiliation of being a shoeshine boy, and I don't feel like shining anybody's shoes.  
  
Just then, Chris saw a pair of familiar faces up ahead of him.  
  
Chris: HEY SHINGO!  
  
Shingo: Huh? *looks behind him* Oh! Hi, Chris!  
  
Chris: Whatcha doing?  
  
Shingo: Fishing with Kasumi.  
  
Kasumi: You look kind of glum, Chris. What's wrong?  
  
Chris: I got kicked off of my team. Lousy Orochi adults think I'm not good enough for them.  
  
Shingo: I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad you said that, because I've got an idea. Kasumi, Chris, how would you like to join me so that we can form our own team?  
  
Chris and Kasumi *eyes sparkling*: WE'D LOVE TO!!  
  
Shingo: Excellent! It'll be just like three years ago, when Chris, Kensou and I formed our own team.  
  
Kasumi: Hold on a minute! You guys were teammates once before?  
  
Shingo: We certainly were!  
  
*cue flashback to three years ago*  
  
Young Kensou: Alright, Chris. Your opponent's coming right toward you. Just stay focused, remain calm, wait for the moment to arrive, and you'll do fine.  
  
Young Chris: I don't know. Are you sure I'm capable of doing this?  
  
Young Shingo: Don't worry, Chris. We're right behind you.  
  
Young Kensou: Look alive, Chris! Here it comes. Okay, wait for it… wait for it… NOW!!  
  
*Young Chris tosses a water balloon filled with paint right at an oncoming car. The balloon hits the car right in the windshield, exploding on contact, and covering the entire front of the car (windshield included) in brown paint.*  
  
Young Kensou: BULLSEYE!  
  
Young Shingo: Way to go, Chris!  
  
*The driver of the car suddenly slams on the brakes, gets out of the car, and (slowly) starts chasing after the trio of troublemakers.*  
  
Young Chris: Uh-oh! He's after us!  
  
Young Shingo: Let's get outta here!  
  
Young Kensou: Quickly! Over that nearby fence!  
  
*The three make a break for it, and take a huge leap over the fence. Shingo and Kensou make it over, but Chris ends up tripping over the fence and lands on the other side face-first.*  
  
Old Man McGuffin (the driver of the car): You God-damn whippersnappers! I'll get you someday for this!  
  
Young Kensou: Chris! Are you O.K.?  
  
Young Chris: I'm fine. That was awesome! You should've seen the look on that old guy's face!  
  
Young Shingo: That oughta teach that old man not to mess with us!  
  
All Three: HAHAHAHAHA!!!  
  
*end flashback*  
  
Shingo: Old Man McGuffin never did get us; he ended up having a stroke a few minutes later, and was pronounced dead soon after. The city's Zoning Commission later thanked us for getting rid of the old man, since his house was blocking construction of a new neighborhood development. May his soul rest in peace.  
  
All Three: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  
  
Little did the trio know that they we being watched. In an unmarked van a few blocks away:  
  
Foxy *through binoculars*: It looks like those three twerps are forming their own team.  
  
Diana: Yes. This could prove quite interesting.  
  
Kula: Why are we here, anyways? Aren't we supposed to be spying on K'?  
  
Candy 2.0: According to my calculations, K' isn't supposed to be here for another few hours.  
  
Foxy: True, but at least this gives us something to do.  
  
Kula: Let me see! *swipes Foxy's binoculars* It looks like they're having fun. Why can't I join them?  
  
Diana: If you show yourself in broad daylight, our cover we'll be blown, and the entire world will know about the N.E.S.T.S. organization!  
  
Candy 2.0: News flash, moron. The world has ALREADY known about us for quite some time! Here, read this.  
  
Diana *reading headlines*: "N.E.S.T.S. Base Discovered Underneath Port-A- Potty In Mobile, Alabama". "Ugh! I Didn't Know What Was Worse; Being Hidden Underneath An Outdoor Toilet, Or Being Stuck In The Middle Of Alabama" Says Captured Operative.  
  
Diana: But that was eight months ago! Besides, the world has never seen us "Special" operatives. If we expose ourselves to humanity, who knows what might happen?  
  
Kula: I know what might happen: nothing! There are people in the King of Fighters tournament that can shoot fireballs, energy blasts, and electric bolts, and they haven't caused any panic amongst the human populace. And another thing: why are we hiding out in an ice cream truck?! It's 84 degrees and rising outside, not to mention the fact that it's sunny and humid!  
  
Everyone turned to look at Candy 2.0.  
  
Candy 2.0: What?! I said I could do lots of things, but I never said I could predict the weather! How was I supposed to know it wasn't going to be rainy and cool?  
  
Foxy: I wonder how Angel and K9999 are doing right now?  
  
At another part of the van:  
  
Kid 1: I want a Fudgy Delight Bar!  
  
Kid 3: Gimme a Fruity Frost Popsicle!  
  
Kid 2: What can I get for fifty cents?  
  
K9999 *in Ice Cream Man uniform*: Go away, you little brats! How many times do I have to tell you: we DON'T have any ice cream!  
  
Kid 4: Aw! Come on! I know you've got some hidden in the back of the truck!  
  
Kid 5: Hey! That Ice Cream Man looks like Tetsuo from Akira! He's so cool!  
  
Kid 6: Nuh-Uh! Kaneda was cooler! He had a cool looking bike!  
  
K9999 *whispering in Angel's ear*: How much longer do we have to put up with this?  
  
Angel *in ice cream man uniform* *whispering back*: Only a few more hours. And how can you be mad at such adorable children?  
  
Kid 3: Hey! Ice Cream Lady!  
  
Angel *thinking to herself*: How cute! He just called me Ice Cream Lady!  
  
Angel: Yes, little boy?  
  
Kid 3 *points to Angel's chest*: Can I have your two scoops?  
  
Angel *annoyed but cool*: Guh! How old are you, kid?  
  
Kid 3: I'm five years old!  
  
Angel: And where did you learn to talk like that?  
  
Kid 3: From my Uncle Fred. Here's right over there! *points to Uncle Fred*  
  
*Uncle Fred makes a "squeezing" gesture at Angel*  
  
Angel *enraged*: YOU'RE A DEAD MAN, PERVERT!!!  
  
Angel leapt out of the truck, dashed toward Uncle Fred, and gave him the beating of his life (which consisted of a barrage of punches and kicks), before finishing him off by slamming him against the side of a street lamp. Uncle Fred collapsed to the ground, broken, bloody and beaten.  
  
Kid 3: Uncle Fred!  
  
Uncle Fred *dazed*: Ugh… tell the mailwoman… that I'd like to deliver… her package… someday…*  
  
Angel: AH! That felt good!  
  
Angel walked calmly back to the ice cream truck and got back in.  
  
K9999: See that? That's what happens to people who ask for ice cream too much! Now beat it! The ice cream shop is closed! *slams down the hood*  
  
*reopens the hood, looks at Kid 5* Oh, and kid, thanks for the compliment! *slams the hood shut again*  
  
Kid 3: You'll pay for this, you big meanie!  
  
Kid 2: No! Wait a second, Rock! That was cool!  
  
Kid 5: Yeah! I want to see my Aunt Shelly get beat up for whining too much!  
  
Kid 4: My parents should be beaten up for making me do chores on Saturday morning!  
  
Kid 1: I've got an idea! Let's all get our mean old parents and relatives, bring them down here, and see them get beaten up by that Ice Cream Lady!  
  
Kid 3: You're right! I never liked Uncle Fred. He drank and smoked too much, and he had all these stacks of magazines with pictures of naked women on them. I'll go bring my dad down here! Let's go!  
  
All the kids (except for Kid 3) ran off to bring their family members to the ice cream truck.  
  
Kid 3: Oh, and Ice Cream Lady, if my dad doesn't show up, come to this address tomorrow morning. *slides a piece of paper underneath the hood of the truck* And one more thing: my name is Rock Howard, just so you know.  
  
Kid 3 (er, I mean, Rock Howard) ran off to go get his dad.  
  
Angel *picks up piece of paper slid underneath hood*: Rock Howard, huh? Hmmm….  
  
*puts piece of paper in her pocket*  
  
Kula: That does it! I'm tired on having to do menial labor while all the other kids get to go outside and play! I'm leaving the team to go have some fun!  
  
Everyone: WHAT?!?  
  
Diana: You can't be serious!  
  
Candy 2.0: This is highly illogical!  
  
Foxy: What will you do? Where will you go? Who are you going to turn to when you're in danger?!  
  
Kula: The answer to all three questions is THERE! *points to where Shingo, Kasumi, and Chris are*  
  
Angel: But what about K'? Didn't you say it was your personal mission to find him?  
  
Kula: Yes, but that's also what the big boss of N.E.S.T.S. and K9999 said. Besides, I've got a much better chance of finding him out in the open than trying to spy on him.  
  
Candy 2.0: What about me? The one who has cared for (and nurtured you) the most? Would you abandon someone like me?  
  
Kula: I certainly would, unless their data were uploaded into a cell phone. *pulls out cell phone* Thanks to the tech boys, they were able to transfer Candy 1.0's personality data into this handy-dandy little cell phone.  
  
*Cell phone flashes "How are you doing today, Kula?" across its' screen.*  
  
Kula: I'm doing fine, Candy.  
  
Candy 2.0: I'm appalled that you'd choose a cell phone over me!  
  
Kula: Yeah, well maybe you'd be more appealing if you didn't say "404 error" after every 25th sentence!  
  
K9999: How are you going to fit in with those "normal" kids? Betcha didn't see that one coming, did you?  
  
Kula: Actually, I did see this question coming, and I can fit it with the other kids with these sunglasses, this cap, and my city attitude. *puts on cap and shades, puts hands in a weird position*  
  
YO! YO! YO! Whazzup, my homies an' b*tches?!  
  
An awkward, uncomfortable silence filled the van.  
  
K9999: *Snicker!* FAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  
  
Suddenly, the whole van erupted with laughter.  
  
Everyone (except Kula): HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!  
  
Kula *insulted*: FINE! I can take a hint! I'm outta here! *slams cap on the floor and walks out*  
  
Kula exited through the rear of the ice cream truck (or van).  
  
Angel: Oh my God! Was she serious?  
  
K9999: So what if she was? She'll be back. And even if she never returns, we can always make Diana our new teammate for this year's King of Fighters tournament. *picks up cap that Kula tossed on the floor and puts it on* Hey! Who am I? "Booty! Booty! Booty! Yeeeeeaaaah, boyyeeee!!"  
  
Just then, everyone started laughing again.  
  
As Kula began walking away from the ice cream truck:  
  
Kid 2: Hey look! It's the Ice Cream Girl!  
  
Rock: Maybe she can go get the Ice Cream Lady for us!  
  
Kula *annoyed*: You want ice cream? I'll give you ice cream! HYYYAAAA!!!  
  
Using her icy powers, Kula encased the children's evil relatives inside giant blocks of ice. All the kids stared at her in awe.  
  
Rock: WHOA! That was AWESOME!! *Thinking to himself* I only wish my dad could've seen this.  
  
Kula smiled back as she continued to distance herself from her fellow N.E.S.T.S. compatriots.  
  
Kula: If you want them defrosted, ask the Ice Cream Man to do so.  
  
With that, Kula headed off to the Southtown River, leaving the "grown-ups" to thaw out underneath the morning sun.  
  
A few minutes later, at the Southtown River, Shingo, Kasumi, and Chris were each taking turns fishing.  
  
Shingo: So, what type of fish do you guys want to catch? I'd like to get a nice, large river trout.  
  
Kasumi: I want to catch a salmon, since that's my family's favorite type of fish.  
  
Chris: A giant tuna, so that I can make my famous tuna noodle casserole.  
  
Just then, a blue-haired girl wearing sunglasses appeared behind the trio.  
  
Kula: Excuse me, but do you have room for one more fisherman?  
  
Kasumi: Hey! It's Kula Diamond!  
  
Kasumi, Shingo, and Chris: Hi Kula!  
  
Chris: Sure, we've got room for another fellow fisherman. Have a seat.  
  
Kula: Thanks. *looks at Chris* But I thought you were dead.  
  
Chris: Yeah, I died, but so what? I came back to life, didn't I?  
  
Kula: True. Good point.  
  
Shingo: *looks around* Hey! Where are the rest of your N.E.S.T.S. teammates?  
  
Kula: They're not with me, anymore. They were making fun of me, so I decided to quit the team. Now, I'm stuck without a team.  
  
Shingo: Funny you should mention that. Kasumi, Chris, and I are forming our own team. How would you like to become our fourth member?  
  
Kula *surprised*: Really?! I can join with you guys? After all the trouble I caused at last year's King of Fighters tournament?  
  
Shingo: Piff! You didn't really cause THAT much trouble. Chris was possessed by Orochi, and we forgave him.  
  
Kula: Well then, count me in!  
  
Shingo: Then it's decided! Welcome to the team, Kula Diamond! Nice sunglasses, by the way.  
  
Kula: Thanks! I swiped them from K' when he wasn't looking.  
  
Shingo: And with that, our team for the King of Fighters 2001 tournament is formed! Now, only one problem remains: what shall be the name of our team? How about Burning Youth?  
  
Kasumi: Nah. That sounds more like the name of a rock group? I know! Why don't we call ourselves the Kids of America?  
  
Chris: It wouldn't work, I'm afraid, since Shingo's from Japan, and I'm originally from Sweden. Why can't we be called the Fantastic Four?  
  
Kula: Because that's a copyright-infringement lawsuit waiting to happen? Perhaps the name Knight Sabers might work?  
  
Kasumi: Same deal. We'd be sued. Plus, where would we find four hardsuits?  
  
Shingo: I got it! We'll call ourselves Gekiganger 4!  
  
Kasumi: Shingo! That's an excellent name!  
  
Kula: I like it! It symbolizes strength and unity.  
  
Chris: Same here! It sounds catchy, has a good beat, and you can dance to it.  
  
Shingo: Then it's settled! From this day forward, we shall be known as the Gekiganger 4 team!  
  
Everyone: LET'S GO GEKIGANGER 4!!!  
  
One hour later…  
  
Chris: *Yawn!* It's been over an hour and we still haven't caught anything.  
  
Shingo *excited*: WHOA! I got a bite! It's struggling to get free! You won't get away from me that easily!  
  
Kasumi *thinking to herself*: It had better not be another dead body.  
  
Shingo: SHINGO PULL!!  
  
And with a mighty tug, Shingo yanked the fish out of the water and sent it flying into the air. Everyone caught a glimpse of the massive mackerel as it flew through the air, and landed in Kula's arms, where she used her icy powers to encase the fish in a block of ice, thus preventing it from escaping (and keeping it fresh at the same time).  
  
Everyone: WHOA!! Look at the size of that thing!  
  
Kula: It's a giant salmon! But I thought that those types of fish never spawned around here.  
  
Chris: It's the size of a shotgun!  
  
Kasumi: YES! I know my dad's going to be pleased to see this!  
  
Shingo: WOO HOO! We'll be able to win over Mr. Todoh with this fish!  
  
Kula: What I'd like to know is where a fish of that size came from.  
  
Kasumi: Who cares where it came from? Let's take it back to my house and show it to my mother.  
  
Shingo: To the Todoh residence!  
  
The four teens headed off to Kasumi's house to show off their massive catch.  
  
Elsewhere, some 30-odd miles outside of Southtown…  
  
Cletus: Nice going, Enos! Your lousy driving caused our Arctic Fishery Delivery truck to tip off of the edge of the road, slide down the hill, land in a river, and force all of the fish out of the truck! Now how are we going to explain to the boss that we let one giant salmon, twelve carp, six tuna, and three trout end up floating away in a nearby river?!  
  
Enos: I swear! I thought that sign said "Speed Up Ahead" instead of "Speed Bump Ahead"! And how was I supposed to know that you were supposed to slow down at a speed bump? Yeesh! What a country!  
  
Meanwhile, at the home of Kasumi Todoh, the newly formed Gekiganger 4 team entered the home of the Todoh family with their massive catch in tow.  
  
Kasumi: Mom! I'm home!  
  
Mrs. Todoh: Welcome back, dear! How did your fishing trip go?  
  
Kasumi: See for yourself. *holds up giant salmon encased in ice*  
  
Mrs. Todoh *surprised*: HOLY…!! Where did you catch a fish that size?!  
  
Kasumi: At the Southtown River, of course. Oh! By the way, I met some new friends while I went out fishing. *points around* Mom, this is Chris.  
  
Chris: Hi! How are you?  
  
Kasumi: That's Kula over there.  
  
Kula: Pleased to me you, Mrs. Todoh.  
  
Kasumi: And the guy with the bandana is Shingo.  
  
Before Mrs. Todoh could speak, Shingo ran over to her and knelt down on two knees while holding her hand.  
  
Shingo: I'm honored to meet you, Mrs. Todoh. I'm Shingo Yabuki, and I'll cook, clean, and do just about anything to make you happy.  
  
Mrs. Todoh *stunned*: Uh… Kasumi, why is he acting like this?  
  
Kasumi: Well, while I went fishing with Shingo, these two people (Chris and Kula) stopped on by and fished alongside us. Shortly after that, Shingo here got an idea to form our own team for the King of Fighters 2001 tournament. We agreed to do so, and from now on, we're known as the Gekiganger 4 team. Unfortunately, neither of my three friends have any places to stay, so… Mom, can Shingo, Chris and Kula please stay over here?  
  
Mrs. Todoh: Well, I don't know… *whispering to Kasumi* Do their parents know about this?  
  
Kasumi *whispering to Mrs. Todoh*: Chris and Kasumi don't have any parents, they're orphans. Shingo does have a family, but he fled his country (Japan) after having his life threatened by an assassin.  
  
Mrs. Todoh *whispering to Kasumi*: Oh my! I'm sorry I asked.  
  
Chris: Oh please, let me stay here, Mrs. Todoh! I had to sleep on a couch in a crowded hotel room!  
  
Kula: I had to sleep in a van!  
  
Shingo: I had to sleep at a Motel 6!  
  
Mrs. Todoh: Geez! That sounds terrible (especially the Motel 6 part)! All right, you can all stay here… on ONE condition. You must be willing to take care of household chores every day you live here (except for Saturdays).  
  
Kula, Shingo, and Chris: Agreed!  
  
Mrs. Todoh: Well, that settles it, then. Welcome to your new home, kids!  
  
Shingo, Chris and Kula: Thank you, Mrs. Todoh!  
  
A short time later, after Kasumi gave her new teammates a tour of her house:  
  
Shingo: Wow! You live in a very nice house, Kasumi.  
  
Kula: Yeah! I can't wait to try out your family's big screen TV and DVD player.  
  
Kasumi: Why thank you. This calls for a celebration! Mom, we're heading out for lunch!  
  
Mrs. Todoh: Okay, but be sure to make in back in time for your tea ceremony practice.  
  
Chris: You have to perform tea ceremonies?  
  
Kasumi: Sadly, yes. It's a part of the family tradition that I'm supposed to partake in. It's not something I'm proud of, though. I can't wait until I leave for college (in two more years), then I won't have to do any more stupid tea ceremonies.  
  
Mrs. Todoh *shouting to Kasumi*: What should I do with the fish while you're gone?  
  
Kasumi: Just leave it in the sink. I want Dad to take a good look at his favorite fish.  
  
Mrs. Todoh: I'm sure he'll be pleased. See you later!  
  
Kasumi: Bye Mom!  
  
Kula, Shingo and Chris: Bye Mrs. Todoh!  
  
The Gekiganger 4 team left the Todoh household.  
  
A short time later, outside of a basketball court…  
  
Kula: Hey, look! It's Terry Bogard and Blue Mary Ryan!  
  
Chris: And there's Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi!  
  
Shingo: HEY! TERRY!  
  
Terry Bogard: *looks over at the Gekiganger 4 team* Hi Kids!  
  
Andy Bogard: What the?! Kula Diamond? What's she doing with those kids?  
  
Blue Mary Ryan: And more importantly, why are Shingo Yabuki, Chris, and Kasumi Todoh alongside her?  
  
Joe Higashi: Who cares? They probably met each other at a fishing hole and decided to team up for the heck of it.  
  
Blue Mary: Yeah, right. Like anyone would believe that story.  
  
Terry: What are you four doing out here?  
  
Shingo: Well, it all started when Kasumi and I went fishing earlier this morning. About an hour later, we…  
  
Joe: Wait a second! You and Kasumi went fishing? I think you two did more than just fish. Way more!  
  
Blue Mary: Sounds like a love connection to me.  
  
Shingo *embarrassed*: NO! It wasn't like that! I swear!  
  
Andy: Ah, young love. Please continue, Shingo.  
  
Shingo: Anyways, an hour later, Chris came on by and decided to fish alongside us.  
  
Terry: Chris, welcome back from the dead.  
  
Chris: Thanks.  
  
Shingo: Sometime after that, Kula dropped on in. Then, the four of us decided to form our own team, and we ended up naming ourselves the Gekiganger 4 team.  
  
Terry, Andy, and Mary stared at Joe in disbelief.  
  
Joe: See? I told you I was right!  
  
Andy: Something still bothers me. Chris, Kula, what happened to your old teammates?  
  
Chris: Shermie and Yashiro kicked me off in favor of putting Vice and Mature on their team.  
  
Kula: My teammates wouldn't stop laughing at me, so I left.  
  
Andy: Ouch! Being laughed at AND getting kicked off of your respective teams is never a good thing.  
  
Terry: Hey, Shingo! What are you doing here in America?  
  
Shingo: Kusanagi-san threatened to kill me after I accidentally ruined his girlfriend's mural, so I fled the country.  
  
Terry: I can see why. Get that boy angry, and he'll fry you like a piece of bacon.  
  
Blue Mary: Hey Kula! Nice shades! Where'd you get them?  
  
Kula: I took them from K' when he tried to perform his Chain Driver attack on me.  
  
Joe: HA! HA! That anti-social jerk deserved it!  
  
Kula: Hey! Don't insult K' like that! He's a sweet guy!  
  
Joe: Yeah, whatever.  
  
Terry: Hey kids! You up for a game of b-ball?  
  
Kula: I'm game!  
  
Chris: Same here!  
  
Kasumi: I want in!  
  
Shingo: Sure, why not? Kusanagi-san always beats me in this game, anyways.  
  
Terry: Awesome! The name of the game is "21". First team to score twenty- one points wins. It's as simple as that.  
  
Joe: Let's take these kids to school!  
  
Blue Mary: Class is in session!  
  
A few seconds later, the game got underway. The competition proved to be a fairly intense battle of the boards. Sadly, no matter how much effort the Gekiganger 4 team put into their game, they were no match for the street- smart Fatal Fury team, who railed them 21-14 (thanks to a game-winning 3- pointer by Blue Mary Ryan).  
  
After the game…  
  
Joe: I guess it's true what they say: white kids CAN'T jump! HAHAHAHA!!  
  
Blue Mary: You guys were like Twinkies: golden on the outside, white and gooey on the inside.  
  
Andy: Nice game. Let's do it again sometime, when you learn how to jump.  
  
Terry: Thanks for the exercise, kids. We're heading off to the Pao Pao Café to celebrate. Care to join us?  
  
Shingo: No thanks. Kasumi actually recommended a good place to us. Thanks anyways, though.  
  
Terry: My pleasure. Good luck at the King of Fighters 2001 tournament, Team Gekiganger 4. See ya!  
  
Kula: Bye guys!  
  
Chris: So, where's this place you wanted us to go?  
  
Kasumi: About four blocks to the left of here.  
  
Shingo: Let's roll!  
  
The Gekiganger 4 team headed off to the restaurant Kasumi wanted to go to.  
  
Meanwhile, a few blocks away, at the Illusions Bar & Grill:  
  
King: … and that's what happened to me this morning.  
  
Mai Shiranui: Geez! Who would've thought that the Orochi gang would suddenly take a big interest in you?  
  
Chizuru: I'm not surprised, quite frankly. That's not the first time they've tried to lure someone not of Orochi blood into their ranks. They tried the same thing once to Shingo Yabuki (with hilariously disastrous results). I'm even less surprised that they came back from the dead. Before dissolving into oblivion, Orochi said that he would do two things: one, revive a few of his followers, and two, keep the show Friends on the air for another nine seasons.  
  
King: That monster! How could he do such a terrible thing? Keeping Friends alive for nine more years, that's just wrong!  
  
Mai: Well, at least you two had a more interesting morning that I did. All I did was cook dinner, clean my apartment, get some exercise, and chase after Andy. As it turned out, the guy whom I was chasing wasn't Andy, but some fellow named Jack Raiden. Boy, was my face red when I found out I was following the wrong guy.  
  
King: I bet that must've been embarrassing. Anyways, with Xiangfei and Hinako D.O.A., I need three new teammates for the King of Fighters 2001 tournament.  
  
Mai: Count me in. I want to get back at Andy for leaving me off of his team. How could he do this to me, twice no less?  
  
King: I don't know. Probably because he finds Blue Mary Ryan less distracting than you.  
  
Mai: HEY!!  
  
Chizuru: Sure, why not. It'll be like a few years ago, when we used to be a team. Plus, it'll be great not having to worry about the resurrection of Orochi anymore.  
  
King: Fantastic! Now all we need to do is find a fourth team member.  
  
Chizuru: Leave that to me. You can come out now, Rosa.  
  
Out of the shadows emerged Rosa Himura (from Kizuna Encounter), a young, yet hardened rebel leader from the island nation of Jipang. Rosa's sudden appearance startled King and Mai.  
  
King *shocked*: WAH!! Where did you come from?!?  
  
Rosa Himura: I've been here the entire time.  
  
Mai: But how…?!?  
  
Rosa: Cloaking device. *removes cloaking device attached to her belt and shows it to King and Mai* Pretty cool, huh? You can thank Chizuru here for providing me with one of those cool devices. You can also thank her associates for getting me out of Jipang and into Southtown.  
  
*cue flashback (and dramatic music)*  
  
Rosa *as narrator*: Two days ago, in a mountainous area somewhere in the middle of Jipang, my troops and I were on the attack against King Lion's army. They had taken the local citizenry hostage, and had them holed up inside of a giant bunker. After making our way over the mountainous terrain, we found ourselves in the midst of Lion territory. Eventually, we were outside the perimeter of the bunker, but just as we were about to take our first steps into the compound, about a hundred of King Lion's soldiers appeared from the skies, from underneath the ground, and from inside the compound. From there, a huge melee/fire fight began. It was my 10 against King Lion's 100, and the odds were made all the worse since fighter jet pods encircled the skies above (and we had no air support). I took down at least 10 of them before my compatriots and I were overwhelmed. Just as things looked grim for us, a Stinger missile came out of nowhere and nailed one of the jet pods. From there, the unseen target laid waste to the rest of the pods, and soon after starting mowing down King Lion's forces via it's mounted laser cannons. The unknown ship then deactivated its cloaking device, revealing itself to be an unmarked drop ship, and descended to right above where I was. The door to said drop ship opened up, and out emerged a rope ladder. Inside the vehicle, I could hear a voice shouting my name.  
  
KGI Operative 1: Are you Rosa Himura?  
  
Rosa: Yes I am.  
  
KGI Operative 1: Get in! My boss wants to meet you.  
  
Rosa: Why should I trust you?  
  
KGI Operative 1: We just saved you and your friends' lives, didn't we?  
  
Rosa: I guess that's reason enough for me. *to one of the rebel soldiers* Think you guys will be all right without me for a while?  
  
Rebel Soldier 1: Don't worry. We've been in worse scrapes without you before. We'll be fine. We'll keep the homes fires burning while you're gone.  
  
Rosa: Thanks a bunch, Akers! While I'm gone, you'll be in charge of my battalion.  
  
Rosa *as narrator*: I grabbed ahold of the rope ladder and was pulled up into the ship. As the door closed to the drop ship, I bid farewell to my fellow freedom fighters. Seconds later, we took off, headed for an unknown destination.  
  
Rosa: So, where are we headed, Mr. Uh…. *looks at nametag* Jenkins?  
  
Jenkins: We're going to the headquarters of the western branch of Kagura Global Industries, located in Southtown, California, U.S.A.  
  
Rosa *thinking to herself*: America, huh? I haven't been there since my father sent me over there four years ago to complete my training.  
  
Rosa *as narrator*: We arrived in Southtown a few hours later, and shortly thereafter, landed on the roof of the Kagura Global Industries Building, where I met up with the big boss herself, Chizuru Kagura.  
  
*end flashback (and dramatic music)*  
  
Chizuru: Initially, I was looking for a new bodyguard. Having looked up her data file (thanks to information supplied to me by a few of my operatives in Jipang), I knew my search was at an end. Her credentials (defeating the tyrannical King Lion and Jyazu with the help of only one other person) were very impressive, to say the least. So I made her my new bodyguard.  
  
Rosa: Thankfully, I'm not working all hours of the day; I only do the day shift. During my time off, I get to stay in a posh luxury apartment room, walk around town, and see the sights. And that's my story.  
  
Mai: Wow! That was some story.  
  
King: Impressive, but if you want to be our teammate, you must prove your worth.  
  
Rosa: *pulls out sword* See this sword? *unsheathes sword* It's seen more battles than you guys have had dates. See these marks? *points to different marks* This one's from my battle against King Lion, the one above it is from when I fought Jyazu, and this one I got when I single-handedly took on 100 of King Lion's lackeys.  
  
Mai: Amazing! You weren't kidding when you said you fought a lot with that sword.  
  
King: That's all fine and good, but in order to deem yourself worthy of being on our team, you must become *in dramatic tone*: THE LORD OF THE RING!!!  
  
King pressed a button hidden underneath the bar's counter, and the floors on the left-hand side of the bar opened up to reveal a medium-sized wrestling ring, which elevated into place.  
  
Mai: WHOA! When did you have that thing installed?  
  
King: About two weeks ago. It was my boss's idea; he said it would help draw customers if they could fight each other for money. I also use it when I'm not working, just so that I can get some exercise in during the day.  
  
Rosa: So, I have to fight one of you to get on the team?  
  
King: Actually, I'm not finished yet. Your opponent will be: the Dan Hibiki- bot 2000!!  
  
Up from an elevated shaft on the left corner of the ring emerged a robot that bared a resemblance to Dan Hibiki.  
  
Hibiki-Bot *in robotic voice, shaking fist*: HA-SHA! I'm gonna knock you into next week, and maybe the week after that!  
  
Rosa: So all I gotta do is fight this robot?  
  
King: WITHOUT the use of your sword!  
  
Rosa: Man, you people really are serious about letting new people onto your team. *puts sword aside*  
  
King: I decided to increase the requirements for making it onto our team drastically after Mai told me about last year's Hinako fiasco.  
  
Mai: Where'd you get the robot from?  
  
King: Again, it was my boss's idea. He bought it from the Ikari Warriors' Garage Sale a couple days ago. He said it would give customers someone to fight against without feeling sorry for causing any serious injuries to their friends.  
  
Rosa: Enough talk! It's robot-fighting time!  
  
Rosa ran up to the ring, leapt over the ropes, and landed (feet-first) on the mat.  
  
King: Your objective is to knock down Dan Hibiki-bot's energy level to zero in less than three minutes. If you are either unable to defeat Dan in that amount of time, or knocked out of the ring, your team membership will be rendered null and void. Understand?  
  
Rosa: Gotcha.  
  
King: I will be monitoring your progress via the scoreboard located above the ring. The fight shall begin when I sound the bell. Are you ready, Rosa?  
  
Rosa: I'm ready to kick some robo-ass!  
  
King: GO! *DING!*  
  
Right at the sound of the bell, Hibiki-bot ran toward Rosa and tried to nail her with a flying jump kick, but Rosa saw this coming and easily evaded his attack. With his back turned, the seasoned freedom fighter took advantage by elbowing him in the back, grabbing him, tossing him onto the mat, and applying an axe kick to his chest while he was down. Hibiki-bot quickly got back up onto his feet and tried to hit Rosa with a rapid barrage of punches, but she managed to dodge them all, and, taking advantage of an opening, punched him in the stomach, forcing him to bend over. She then followed up by picking him up and pile-driving him right into the mat. Angered by that last attack, Hibiki-bot leapt back onto his feet and prepared to fire a giant energy ball. Sensing this coming, Rosa assumed a blocking position in order to defend herself from the oncoming attack.  
  
Hibiki-Bot: Chew on this! Shinku-HADOKEN!!  
  
The robotic fighter unleashed a small, ineffective energy ball that quickly dispersed from sight. Rosa simply laughed.  
  
Rosa: HA! HA! That was supposed to have been your ultimate attack? If so, it was ultimately pathetic! Allow me to demonstrate what a real ultimate attack looks like.  
  
Mai *whispering to King*: I think something's wrong with that Dan Hibiki- bot. I don't think his ultimate attack is working properly.  
  
King *whispering to Mai*: Actually, that WAS his ultimate attack. My boss assured me that he had bought it slightly used.  
  
Hibiki-Bot *insulted*: You dare to mock my Saikyo fighting style?! I'll turn you into a floor mat for that insult! Prepare to face my TRUE ultimate attack! RAAAAHH!!!  
  
Hibiki-bot rushed toward Rosa and performed his Hisshou Buraiken. Just as the attack was about to make impact, the clever rebel leader found an opening and nailed him in the chin with a rising uppercut that sent him up into the air. Rosa then leapt up, grabbed ahold of Hibiki-bot, and performed her Shori-no Akatsuki (which consists of Rosa grabbing her opponent out of mid-air and suplex-ing them into the ground with a highly explosive impact). The impact of Rosa's DM sent Hibiki-bot spiraling out of the ring and onto the floor, where he laid in an undignified heap.  
  
Mai and King *amazed*: WHOA!! That was cool!  
  
King: She beat Hibiki-bot in only 1:27! Unbelievable!  
  
Chizuru: See? THIS is the reason why I hired her as my new bodyguard!  
  
Hibiki-Bot *badly damaged*: G-G-Gurk…*  
  
Rosa: *leaps out of the ring* So, how'd I do?  
  
King: I'd say you more than just qualified. You passed with flying colors! Welcome to the team, Rosa! *shakes Rosa's hand*  
  
Rosa: *shakes King's hand* Thanks! It ought to be a pleasure fighting alongside a Shiranui ninja, a guardian of the seal of Orochi, and the second-best kick boxer in the world.  
  
King: HEY! Why only second-best? Who's the best kick boxer in the world?  
  
Rosa: Isn't it obvious? Joe Higashi, of course.  
  
King *insulted*: WHAT?! You mean that loud-mouth, arrogant jerk is better than me?! As if! I could clobber that overly-hyped moron any day of the week!  
  
Rosa: Then why is he still the kickboxing champion of the world?  
  
King: If they let women into the World Kickboxing Association, I would've usurped him from his throne a long time ago!  
  
Rosa: Yeah. Yeah. Don't give me excuses!  
  
King: *SIGH!* Never mind. Let's just move on. *looks at watch* Oh my gosh! It's almost time to open up shop! *pushes button underneath counter; ring, scoreboard, and Hibiki-bot return to their respective places.*  
  
Mai: Wait a second! I thought that Illusions didn't open until 5:00pm.  
  
King: That policy changed about a month ago. Ever since my boss hired expert chef and grill master Freddy Flambe, not only has this place be re- named (hence the name Illusions Bar & Grill), we've also expanded the hours (to 12:00pm-1:00am weekdays), so that we can serve the lunch crowd.  
  
Mai: I see. Well, I guess I'll be sticking around for lunch then.  
  
Rosa: Same here. I'm starving after that little workout.  
  
Chizuru: Me too. I want to see how good this Freddy Flambe guy is.  
  
King: Very well then. Sally! Elizabeth!  
  
Sally and Elizabeth: Yes ma'am?  
  
King: Get ready. The lunch crowd'll be here any second. Freddy, get the grill going!  
  
Freddy Flambe: Eyy! I'll give the customers something to sing about. I'm gonna punch it up a bunch! SLAM!  
  
Mai: Is he trying to impersonate Emeril Lagasse?  
  
Chizuru: Him, and just about every other chef in the southwest.  
  
Meanwhile, outside of Illusions Bar & Grill, a short distance away:  
  
Kasumi: This looks like a good place to have lunch.  
  
Shingo: I'm with you. I can't walk any further on an empty stomach.  
  
The four kids entered Illusions Bar & Grill. Inside, King's fellow waitresses, Elizabeth and Sally, greeted them.  
  
Sally and Elizabeth: Hi! Welcome to Illusions Bar & Gr…  
  
Sally: OH MY GOD! It's Kula Diamond!  
  
Elizabeth: You were awesome last year! I loved seeing how you suddenly came in out of nowhere and beat the tar out of the Heroes Team.  
  
Kula: Thanks!  
  
Sally: You and your friends can sit at the front of the bar.  
  
Shingo: All right!  
  
Sally and Elizabeth escorted the Gekiganger 4 team to the front of the bar, where the four were then seated.  
  
King: Kula Diamond? What are doing among these "normal people"?  
  
Kula: Well, I got laughed off of my old team, found Shingo, Kasumi, and Chris fishing by a river, and we formed our own team, calling ourselves the Gekiganger 4 team.  
  
King *in disbelief*: Okay! Which one of you spiked my martini?  
  
Mai: Are you sure you're all right, King? You're not hallucinating now, are you? If so, do you see any pink bunnies dancing in front of you?  
  
King: Put those stuffed animals away!  
  
Mai: Awww! You're no fun! *puts away stuffed pink bunnies*  
  
Shingo: It's true. Kula, Kasumi, Chris, and I are our own team. I assure you, it's no dream.  
  
Rosa: So, let me get this straight. A Kyo Kusanagi-wannabe, a master of the Todoh fighting style, a rock star with Orochi blood, and a N.E.S.T.S. special operative are all on the same team?  
  
Chris: That's right.  
  
Rosa: I guess stranger things have happened before. And since seeing is believing, then I believe it.  
  
Chizuru: Wait a second. How did you know that Kula was a N.E.S.T.S. operative, and that Chris has Orochi blood?  
  
Rosa: Simple. Thanks to Jipang's data library, I was able to find out just about everything I wanted to know about every King of Fighters contestant that has ever participated in the tournament.  
  
Mai: Wow. You must be very well connected, being from an island nation and all.  
  
Kula: I've got a question. What happened to Southtown after the Zero cannon hit it last year?  
  
Mai: As it turned out, the Zero cannon only destroyed the Bumsville and Telemarketers Lane sections of Southtown, so no real serious damage was done.  
  
Kasumi: I've also got a question. *to King* Where's that drink you promised me a few years ago?!  
  
King: You know I'm not allowed to serve drinks to anyone under the age of 21, so the answer is in a few more years, when you're older.  
  
Kasumi: I don't care. I still want my drink, and I want it NOW!  
  
King: Okay, fine, you win. Here you go: a bottle of Red Cat beer. Enjoy.  
  
Kasumi: Awesome! I knew you'd eventually cave in under pressure.  
  
Shingo: *whispering to King*: What are you doing?! You're gonna get yourself in a lot of trouble for this!  
  
King: *whispering to Shingo*: Settle down, Shingo. It's only a bottle of root beer with a fake label on it. At least this'll stop her complaining.  
  
Shingo *whispering to King*: I see. Very clever. Who's that person in the red t-shirt and jeans, by the way?  
  
King: That's Rosa Himura, our newest teammate.  
  
Shingo: Oh. *to Rosa* Pleased to meet you, Rosa. My name is Shingo…  
  
Rosa: I already know who you are. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kasumi Todoh, Chris, and Kula Diamond. By the way, why did you form your own team?  
  
Shingo: Well, after I accidentally ruined Kusanagi-san's girlfriend's mural, he threatened to kill me, so I fled the country and wound up here in Southtown. The next day, I decided to go fishing with Kasumi in order to put my mind at ease. An hour or so later, Chris and Kula came on by. Since the two of them were kicked off of their old teams, I decided that the four of us should form our own team. Thus, we ended up calling ourselves the Gekiganger 4 team.  
  
Rosa: Nice story, but why Gekiganger 4?  
  
Shingo: To me, the name symbolizes strength, unity, courage, and teamwork. That, and I got the idea from an anime series called Martian Successor Nadesico.  
  
Rosa: Interesting.  
  
Chizuru: Oh, by the way, Shingo, I found out who was responsible for the deaths of Li Xiangfei and Hinako.  
  
King: It was Vice and Mature!  
  
Chizuru: Must you ruin my dramatic moment?  
  
King: If I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to get a word in edgewise.  
  
Chizuru: *ahem* Anyways, the claw and bite marks on their bodies both belonged to Vice and Mature. So there you go.  
  
Shingo: Wha?! But I thought Vice and Mature were dead.  
  
Chizuru: Yeah, well, Orochi brought them back to life.  
  
Chris: I also was brought back from the dead.  
  
Kula: Well, that sure explains a lot. But why isn't anyone sad that Li Xiangfei and Hinako are dead?  
  
Kasumi: Because they were annoying.  
  
King: Because they were gluttons.  
  
Mai: Because they ate and complained more than they fought.  
  
Shingo: Because I easily beat the tar out of them. Anyone that weak or unskilled doesn't even deserve to participate in the King of Fighters tournament.  
  
Rosa: Because I also could've mopped the floor with them.  
  
Sally: Me too.  
  
Elizabeth: Same here.  
  
Chris: Ditto.  
  
Chizuru: Because they suck. End of story.  
  
Kula: Hmmm. I see your points.  
  
Just then, a tall figure with equally tall blond hair walked into the bar.  
  
Benimaru Nikaido: Yo!  
  
Sally: *GASP!* OH MY GOD! It's Benimaru Nikaido!  
  
Elizabeth: You were awesome last year! I loved seeing how you beat Kula Diamond by using her ice powers against her. Come sit at the front of the bar.  
  
Kula *annoyed*: E tu brute, Elizabeth?  
  
Shingo *surprised*: Benimaru-san?! What are you doing here?  
  
Benimaru: I was about to ask you and your friends the same question. I'm here in Southtown because I've been hired to be the new male model for Rei's Blue Jeans. Why are you here, anyways?  
  
Shingo told Benimaru the story of how he came to Southtown and met up with Kasumi, Chris, and Kula.  
  
Benimaru: That's quite a story. What's even more amazing is the fact that you've got two beautiful young ladies on your team. Looks like those last two tournaments underneath my tutelage are really starting to pay off for you.  
  
Shingo: Actually, it was more chance than charm.  
  
Kasumi *to Benimaru*: Wait a second. You beat Kula Diamond?!  
  
Benimaru: I sure did. You see, after she K.O.ed K's team, I confronted her, and right when she was about to nail me with a blast of ice, I used my Raikou Ken on the attack, and since the ice hadn't fully hardened (and since water conducts electricity), I ended up electrocuting her.  
  
Shingo: Yeah! Benimaru-san was in top form that day!  
  
Benimaru *to Kula*: I hope my attack wasn't too shocking for you, cutie. No hard feelings?  
  
Kula *to Benimaru*: None whatsoever. Any friend of K' is a friend of mine. And thanks for the "cutie" compliment.  
  
Benimaru: You're welcome. Anyways, Shingo, how did the rest of your fishing trip go?  
  
Shingo: It couldn't have gone better. We ended up catching a huge salmon.  
  
Mai: You're kidding!  
  
Shingo: I don't think so. Take a look at this picture. *pulls out a Polaroid picture*  
  
Mai: Amazing!  
  
Chizuru: Look at the size of that fish!  
  
King: Very impressive!  
  
Rosa: You could feed a small army with that thing!  
  
Benimaru: *whistles* That's one giant salmon.  
  
Chris: And it was all thanks to the four of us.  
  
Benimaru: Welcome back to the land of the living, Chris. How was the afterlife?  
  
Chris: Very boring. I had to wait in a long line before some guy came up and told me that I was brought back to life.  
  
Benimaru: Look on the bright side. At least you've been given a second chance. Anyways, Shingo, before I left for Southtown, Kyo told me that I ever found you, I should have you give Kyo a call. He wanted to talk with you. About what, I have no idea.  
  
Shingo *surprised*: Kusanagi-san wants to talk to me?! Oh no! I must've really done something terrible if he sent someone to track me down.  
  
Benimaru: Relax. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Here, you can talk to him on my cell phone. *hands Shingo his cell phone*  
  
Shingo *nervous*: I can't do it! What if he's still angry at me and wants to kill me?  
  
Rosa: Calm down, Shingo. It's only a phone call. If something bad does happen, don't worry. We're behind you.  
  
Shingo: Thanks, Rosa. *takes a deep breath* Okay, here goes nothing. *dials Kyo's phone number*  
  
Kyo *on the other end of the line*: Hello?  
  
Shingo *nervous*: Kusanagi-san?  
  
Kyo: Shingo!  
  
Shingo *nervous*: *GULP!* Y-Yes sir?  
  
Kyo: You're a GENIUS!  
  
Shingo: W-WHA?!?!?  
  
Kyo: If it wasn't for your timely (and accidental) intervention, Yuki wouldn't have won the School Mural contest.  
  
Shingo *confused*: I… don't… understand…  
  
Kyo: Let me put it this way: if you didn't come in, step all over the painting, and accidentally drop a box of yakisoba noodles on top of it, Yuki wouldn't have found the creative inspiration she needed to win first prize at the school's annual Mural Contest. After I chased you out of apartment, Yuki decided to start over and create a new mural, since the old one didn't quite meet her standards. With my assistance, we were able to finish it in a matter of hours, and a couple days later, we presented our entry in the school's annual mural contest, and won first prize: a one week trip for two to Maui, Hawaii.  
  
Shingo: Awesome! But what was the name of the mural?  
  
Kyo: Yakisoba School Spirit. I know it sounds weird, but knowing artistic judges, they'll take anything that sounds different. Yuki and I couldn't be happier that we won the contest. In fact, I think she wants to thank you. Hold on. *hands phone over to Yuki*  
  
Yuki: Hey Shingo! Thanks so much for helping me find my creative inspiration. I couldn't have won the contest without you. In fact, if you were here right now, I'd give you a big hug (and, if Kyo wasn't looking, a kiss).  
  
Shingo *stunned*: You're… uh, welcome. Think you can save that hug for when I return to Japan?  
  
Yuki: Sure thing. Listen, I gotta go. Thanks again, and I look forward to congratulating you in person when you come home. Here's Kyo. See ya! *hands phone back to Kyo*  
  
Kyo: Well, it looks like everything turned out all right in the end. By the way, I'm sorry that I got angry at you and threatened to kill you.  
  
Shingo: Apology accepted! So, does this mean I can be on your team now?  
  
Kyo: I'm afraid not. The team's already been decided, and I have no intention of making any changes at this point. Sorry, Shingo.  
  
Shingo: Don't worry about it. I've got my own team now.  
  
Kyo *surprised*: You've got your own team?! Since when did this happen?  
  
Shingo: Since I went fishing in Southtown earlier today. My teammates are Kasumi Todoh, Chris, and Kula Diamond.  
  
Kyo *surprised*: WHAT?! You're kidding! Chris is dead, and Kula would NEVER join another team.  
  
Shingo: Actually, Chris was brought back to life, and Kula quit her team. Listen, I gotta go. Benimaru'll kill me if I continue running up his cell phone bill. I'll explain everything when we meet again. See ya!  
  
Kyo: WAIT A SECOND! Don't hang up…*  
  
Shingo: *turns off cell phone and hands it back to Benimaru* Good news! I've been forgiven!  
  
Everyone: YAY!!  
  
Benimaru: So, how'd you get yourself out of that one?  
  
Shingo explained to everyone how he got himself out of the mess he was in.  
  
King: Talk about divine intervention. Maybe I should invite you over and have you knock over a few bottles of wine to see if there's any gold hidden inside.  
  
Mai: Perhaps you should come over to the Shiranui shrine and remodel the floors to see if there's treasure buried underneath the shrine.  
  
Benimaru *to Rosa*: Hey, I haven't seen you around here before.  
  
Rosa *to Benimaru*: I'm Rosa Himura, Jipang native and Chizuru Kagura's bodyguard. I'm also one of your biggest fans.  
  
Benimaru: Is that so?  
  
Rosa: It certainly is. In fact, I'm wearing the shirt you wore during the King of Fighters '99 tournament underneath my t-shirt. *lifts up t-shirt* See?  
  
Everyone responded in surprise to Rosa's "hidden lucky charm" (Shingo nearly fell out of his chair).  
  
King *hand over eyes*: Oh no. *snicker*  
  
Kula: Now THAT'S what I call being a fan.  
  
Benimaru: That certainly is my shirt, all right. But where (and how) did you get it?  
  
Rosa: You don't remember? At the awards ceremony, after winning the championship trophy, you decided to show off your body to the ladies, and thus, you took off your t-shirt and threw it into the crowd. I was the one who caught it.  
  
Mai: Hold it. I thought you were fighting in Jipang around that time.  
  
Rosa: I was on leave.  
  
Benimaru: I see.  
  
Rosa: I've also got a copy of your modeling photo album, "Beauty To The Bone", back at my apartment. Would you mind singing it at some point for me?  
  
Benimaru: Anything for a fan as beautiful and dedicated as you are.  
  
Rosa: Thanks.  
  
Shingo: Benimaru-san, what ever happened to that ninja we saw after we defeated Zero?  
  
King: Yeah! I want to know too!  
  
Benimaru: Well, that ninja is named Ron, and believe it or not, I ran into him a few months ago while in New York City. He told me that he was working as a graphic artist, with a second job, doing illustrations for science books. He told me that there's big money in scientific illustration. We then traded stock tips before going our separate ways.  
  
Shingo: That's odd. Didn't he say he was going to kill us?  
  
Benimaru: He changed his mind. He's decided to put his plan for world domination on indefinite hold, opting instead to hold down a steady job.  
  
Shingo: Well, that explains a lot.  
  
King: A scientific illustrator ninja, huh? That's a new one.  
  
One hour later, after ordering (and consuming) lunch:  
  
Kasumi: That was delicious!  
  
Chizuru: My compliments to the chef!  
  
Mai: The food here certainly has improved, thanks to your boss hiring Freddy Flambe.  
  
Shingo: Question now is, who's going to foot the bill?  
  
Kula: I will! *pulls out a huge wad of cash*  
  
Chris: WHOA! Where'd all that money come from?  
  
Kula: N.E.S.T.S. usually provides the elite members with a lot of money, so that they can buy (or bribe) their way out of any situation.  
  
Rosa: Talk about being well endowed (financially, that is).  
  
Kasumi: Well, it's been fun. We're outta here. Let's go get some ice cream to celebrate our newfound team, fellas.  
  
Shingo, Kula, and Chris: Right on!  
  
Shingo: Bye, Benimaru-san! Later, ladies! See you at the King of Fighters 2001 tournament. Good luck!  
  
Kula and Chris: See ya!  
  
Chizuru: *grabs Kula and Chris by their collars* Hold on a second, you two. There's something I need to talk to you about.  
  
Chris: Oh. Okay. *to Shingo* We'll catch up to you in a few minutes.  
  
Shingo: All right. We'll be waiting for you. By the way, Kagura-san, think you can make some Gekiganger 4 jackets for my team?  
  
Chizuru: Will do. I'll have my graphic designers get right on it.  
  
Shingo and Kasumi exited Illusions Bar & Grill.  
  
Chizuru: It looks like the coast is clear.  
  
Kula: So, why did you want to talk to us?  
  
Chizuru: Actually, I wanted to wait until Shingo and Kasumi were outside so that I could tell everybody this. You're not going to believe this, but Shingo has a girlfriend.  
  
Kula: You're kidding. I never thought that he was dating material.  
  
Mai: Who is it? Spill the beans.  
  
Chizuru: Kasumi Todoh.  
  
Everyone: WHAT?!?!?  
  
King: No way! Kasumi and Shingo? Never. Not in a thousand years. I don't believe it!  
  
Chizuru: Believe it. Earlier today, while out for my morning jog, I saw Kasumi and Shingo fishing beside the Southtown river. As I jogged on by, I overheard Kasumi say something about wanting to be Shingo's boyfriend. A couple minutes later, I saw the two of them embrace each other.  
  
Chris: Ladies and gentlemen, better cancel class, 'cause hell has frozen over.  
  
Benimaru: Looks like my youthful former teammate's finally growing up. I'm so proud of him.  
  
Mai: Aw! How sweet! I love seeing a young couple in love.  
  
Rosa: I never thought that the two of them would become a potential couple. All I know is that if word gets out about this, the tabloids'll be all over this like teenage girls at a boy band concert.  
  
Chizuru: Remember: this rumor stays between all of us. It does not leave this bar. Understand?  
  
Everyone: Understood.  
  
Chizuru: Good. You're free to go now, Chris and Kula.  
  
Kula: Thanks for sharing that with us.  
  
Chris: Let us know when the Gekiganger 4 jackets are done.  
  
Chizuru: I will.  
  
Kula and Chris: See ya!  
  
Chris and Kula left Illusions Bar & Grill.  
  
Outside…  
  
Kasumi: What took you so long?  
  
Chris: We were talking about our stock portfolios.  
  
Kula: Just make sure not to purchase any stock from a company named "Enron".  
  
Shingo: Good advice. Now, let's go get some ice cream!  
  
Everyone: YEAH!!!  
  
With that, the Gekiganger 4 team headed off to get some ice cream.  
  
What challenges (both old and new) await the newly formed Gekiganger 4 team? Will they have what it takes to survive the King of Fighters 2001 tournament? And what teams (both old and new) shall they be pitted against? Let's answer that question now, shall we?  
  
TEAMS IN THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2001 TOURNAMENT:  
  
Heroes Team  
  
-K'  
  
-Maxima  
  
-Whip  
  
-Lin  
  
Their Story: After being re-united with his sister (Whip) following the conclusion to the King of Fighters 2000 tournament, K', Maxima, and Whip set off to eliminate all N.E.S.T.S. bases the world over. Upon hearing word of a King of Fighters 2001 tournament, the Heroes Team held an open-house audition at Carnegie Hall in New York City, hoping to find someone with an equally dark and brooding past as the three of them. They went through many potential candidates (Eiji Kisaragi, Ryuji Yamazaki, Kevin Costner) before ending up with Lin (who won by having the saddest story: at 17, he fell in love with a beautiful female ninja, but ended up accidentally killing her with his poison breath when he tried to kiss her). So now, the "brooding" Heroes Team is out to put a stop to N.E.S.T.S. once and for all (all the while brooding over their dark and mysterious pasts).  
  
Japan Heroes Team  
  
-Kyo Kusanagi  
  
-Benimaru Nikaido  
  
-Goro Daimon  
  
-Moe Habana  
  
Their Story: Out to reclaim their former glory (and to make sure that K' stops hogging the spotlight), the Japan Heroes Team have returned for the King of Fighters 2001 tournament, this time with spunky newcomer Moe Habana on their team.  
  
N.E.S.T.S. Team  
  
-K9999  
  
-Angel  
  
-Foxy  
  
-Diana  
  
Their Story: Having lost one of their own operatives (Kula Diamond) in an incident classified as the "Ice Cream Salesman Screw Up", the N.E.S.T.S. Team quickly found a replacement (Diana). Determined to prove himself as the most powerful fighter in the world (and prove to the world that Tetsuo was the "real" hero of Akira), K9999 sets his sights on eliminating K' once and for all. The other three simply want to win, get Kula back on their side, and go shopping.  
  
Yagami Team  
  
-Iori Yagami  
  
-Vanessa  
  
-Seth  
  
-John Crawley  
  
Their Story: Angered over hearing word of Ramon making moves on his wife, Vanessa, John Crawley challenged the Mexican wrestler to a duel. He won, while Ramon was shot and killed in the duel. After that, the trio (John, Seth, and Vanessa) lured Iori onto their team by promising him that he could fight Kyo as much as he wanted (and by giving him a new guitar). Will this foursome survive the rigors of the King of Fighters 2001 tournament (and will Iori end up butchering his teammates, like he did in '95 and '96)?  
  
Fatal Fury Team  
  
-Terry Bogard  
  
-Andy Bogard  
  
-Joe Higashi  
  
-Blue Mary Ryan  
  
Their Story: The Lone Wolves are back! Once again, Southtown's finest are out to prove themselves as the greatest fighting team in the world. 'Nuff said!  
  
Art of Fighting Team  
  
-Ryo Sakazaki  
  
-Robert Garcia  
  
-Yuri Sakazaki  
  
-Takuma Sakazaki  
  
Their Story: After spending a horrendous year on the Female Fighters team back in 2000, Yuri jumped ship and went back to her family (the Art of Fighting team), vowing never again to join a team "with as lame a fighter as Hinako". Having enjoyed a banner year (thanks to the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), the Kyokugen dojo now has more students (and money) than ever before. Hoping to rake in enough money to add another room to the dojo, the Art of Fighting team enters the King of Fighters 2001 tournament, aiming to prove the might of Kyokugen to the world (and win a whole lot of prize money in the process).  
  
Ikari Warriors Team  
  
-Ralf Jones  
  
-Clark Steele  
  
-Heidern  
  
-Leona  
  
Their Story: After Whip went M.I.A. at the end of the King of Fighters 2000 tournament, Heidern decided to reinstate himself as active leader of the Ikari Warriors team. With their sights set on taking down N.E.S.T.S. once and for all, will their militant might help them overcome all obstacles?  
  
Psycho Soldiers Team  
  
-Athena Asamiya  
  
-Sie Kensou  
  
-Chin Gensai  
  
-Jhun Hoon  
  
Their Story: After Bao was killed in a helicopter accident, Athena decided to call up one of her biggest fans (Jhun Hoon) and have him replace their now-dead teammate. Having said "farewell" to his former team (Korean Team), Jhun finally gets to live out every fanboy's dream: to fight alongside their biggest idol. How well will three Psycho Soldiers and one Tae Kwon Do expert be able to stack up against the competition?  
  
Female Fighters Team  
  
-King  
  
-Mai Shiranui  
  
-Chizuru Kagura  
  
-Rosa Himura  
  
Their Story: Following the deaths of Li Xiangfei and Hinako, King broke out a bottle of Don Perignon and started singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" (okay, not really). Faced with the fact that they were now two members short of a team, King and Mai called Chizuru down to Illusions Bar & Grill in the hopes that she might consider returning to her old team. Little did the duo know that she had recently hired a personal bodyguard by the name of Rosa Himura (a freedom fighter from the island nation of Jipang). Shortly after meeting one another, Rosa proved herself worthy in a training match, and thus, the new Female Fighters team was born. Will the Female Fighters team be able to redeem themselves after their "humiliating" defeat in the King of Fighters 2000 tournament?  
  
Korean Team  
  
-Kim Kaphwan  
  
-May Lee  
  
-Chang Koehan  
  
-Choi Boungie  
  
Their Story: Kim and his pair of freaks (er, I mean, students) have returned, but with the addition of a new face. May Lee, an energetic, eager Korean girl, has quickly become Kim's prize student. Hopeful that this young prodigy will excel in her training, Kim has given her the difficult task of watching over (and trying to reform) Chang and Choi. Poor guys. Will Choi ever be reunited with his wife? Will Chang ever be able to taste the sweet nectar of freedom? No and no.  
  
Gekiganger 4 Team  
  
-Shingo Yabuki  
  
-Kasumi Todoh  
  
-Chris  
  
-Kula Diamond  
  
Their Story: Having met each other while fishing in Southtown, these "orphans" of various teams (a Kyo Kusanagi disciple, a master of the Todoh fighting style, a rock star with Orochi blood, and an ice girl) have decided to pool their strengths together in order to become a force to be reckoned with. With their combined strength greater than the sum of their parts, the whole world just may be shouting, "LET'S GO GEKIGANGER 4!".  
  
New Faces Four (YMVS) Team  
  
-Yashiro Nanakase  
  
-Shermie  
  
-Vice  
  
-Mature  
  
Their Story: Having been brought back to life by Orochi, and been in hiding for the past two years, the "new" New Faces Four team are ready to expose themselves to the world once more. No longer being manipulated by Orochi, these four fighters have only one objective in mind: harassing Iori Yagami until he goes into an Orochi Blood Riot.  
  
World Heroes Team  
  
-Hanzo  
  
-Fuuma  
  
-Janne  
  
-Ryoko  
  
Their Story: Having heard so much about the King of Fighters tournament, Dr. Brown put his time machine back into commission in order to retrieve his favorite fighters from various timelines. With his old friends reunited in the modern era, Dr. Brown hopes to prove his World Heroes team worthy of being a team for all ages.  
  
Kizuna Encounter Team  
  
-Kim Sue Il  
  
-Hayate  
  
-Max Eagle  
  
-Carol  
  
Their Story: Having gotten word that fellow compatriot Rosa Himura was competing in the King of Fighters 2001 tournament, Kim Sue Il went off in search of a team worthy to be called "Jipang's finest". He soon came across a master of Fu'un-ken (Hayate), a world championship wrestler (Eagle), and a rhythmic gymnastics expert (Carol, who recently changed her weapon from a ball to a chakram after watch numerous re-runs of Xena: Warrior Princess). With his new team formed, Kim and friends set off for the tournament, hoping to make the island nation of Jipang well known. Each person, however, has their own objectives (Hayate wants to prove his Fu'un-ken is mightier than the Kyokugen fighting style, Eagle wants to prove he's a better grappler than the Ikari Warriors, Kim Sue Il wishes to be reunited with his older brother, Kim Kaphwan, whom he hasn't seen in many years, and Carol wants Joe Higashi all for herself). Will these newcomers prove to the world that island nations are to be respected, and not made fun of?  
  
To Be Continued In The King Of Fighters 2001!  
  
  
  
…and there you have it. That's it for this story. Please send all feedback to insaneben@yahoo.com. ABC ya! 


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